Thread: Cupper as pivot pins?

Hey all!

I have one bad looking SR but it's usable, even if it has deeper black rust on it, I like to restore the scales. And get new scales for all my SR that have plastic handles. I bought a 3 mm Rivet set and 50 pcs of copper rivets 2x16 size.

Usually people use brass for that, but I could not find brass rivets that are long enough so I bought some copper.
Copper does have anti bacterial properties, but if you clean them with acid, they will have a green color on them.
Perhaps if I do not clean them with acid then they will only darken????

Is copper is good alternative?

The proper brass rod can be purchased at hobby stores.

Thanks, I did not think about brass rods! And copper? Is that useful as an alternative? I bought 50 pieces of that already =)

Copper will corrode and turn green if not carefully polished and kept dry.

Go to Microfasteners and get some brass washers. Guit said it. Go to Hobby Lobby, Michaels, etc for brass rod. Hardware stores sometimes have 1/16 rod.

Hobby lobby carries the brass rods.

If you are really "crafty", brass tubing can be purchased at the same hobby shops. cut in short, I mean really SHORT, sections and flattened, they make really cool washers. It takes a little bit of work but it can and has been done.

Brass will also grow verdigris over time.
Lots of ways to tighten Pivot Holes.

so both brass and copper will become green after time. Brass will take much longer I presume?

In general I think it's ok to use copper. The reason is that I wipe my hand dry before I get hold of my SR.
The SR only get damp from my just dried hand on a towel. So hardly any water will go between the handles.

Brass is also harder, stronger and more wear resistant than the softer copper will be so will last a lot longer
this is why locks and hinges etc are made of brass not copper

ok, well. Since I got 50 copper pins, I am going to use them and see how they hold up. I guess they can last more than one year.....